Introduction to Enscape Render: How it Works, Benefits, and Learning Path

enscape render

Enscape is a real-time rendering software made especially for architects and designers to quickly create high-quality pictures and videos of their projects.

It works directly with popular design tools like Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, and ArchiCAD, meaning you can see design changes instantly, without waiting for long rendering times like with other software.

This software is known for being easy to use, even if you’re not a rendering expert.

It lets you walk through your 3D models and see updates as you change materials or settings. Enscape also automatically understands material types, lets you adjust lighting, and offers various export options, including images, videos, and virtual reality experiences.

Plus, it has a batch rendering feature that saves you time when you need many images.

Now that you have a better picture of what Enscape is and its main benefits, let’s dig into its key features, how it simplifies the design process, and how it can help AEC professionals like you improve project communication and efficiency.

Let’s dive in to learn more about Enscape.

What is Enscape Render?

We covered the basics in the introduction, but let’s look closer at what Enscape render is. Enscape is a real-time rendering and virtual reality plugin.

It works directly inside your design software, like Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, or ArchiCAD. This integration makes it fast and efficient.

Enscape’s main feature is its real-time rendering engine. This uses the computer’s graphics card (GPU) to quickly make realistic images. Instead of waiting for a separate program to render, Enscape shows you the scene as you work.

When you change your model, the Enscape view updates immediately. This lets you explore different designs quickly, testing materials, lighting, and layouts without delay.

Besides real-time viewing, Enscape also has tools for presentations. It can create images, videos, panoramas, and virtual reality (VR) experiences.

These exports help you show your designs to clients and teams. Walkthroughs and VR let people understand the space better than 2D drawings. Enscape makes it easier to go from a 3D model to an understandable experience, which is very useful in the AEC industry.

Unfortunately, Enscape is not free software.

However, they offer a 14-day free trial of the full version. You get all the features. You don’t need to enter your credit card to start the trial. This lets you see if Enscape is right for you.

They also have help and training for you to learn how to use the software.

After the trial, you need to buy a licence to keep using it. They have monthly or yearly plans. If you are a student or teacher, there are free educational licences available too.

How Does Enscape Render Work?

The Enscape rendering process begins when 3D scene data is accessed directly from the host application, such as Revit or SketchUp.

This initial step involves the transfer of data, which includes geometric information defining the shapes of objects (vertices, faces), the properties of materials applied to those objects, and all lighting parameters established in the scene.

This comprehensive data set is then passed to Enscape’s rendering engine.

Next, the software uses the GPU, which is specialised for parallel processing for rendering.

To prepare for rendering, the transferred 3D data is structured into a scene graph, a hierarchical representation that organises all the elements in the scene for efficient processing. This scene graph is then processed by the rendering pipeline, a series of operations executed by the GPU.

The pipeline’s first step is to perform vertex data transformation, which adjusts the vertices based on camera position and orientation and projection onto the 2D display. This pipeline converts the 3D coordinates into the 2D coordinates of the computer screen.

Once vertices are projected, the software determines pixel coverage for each triangle through rasterization, establishing which pixels should be influenced by which objects.

Following this, pixel shaders on the GPU compute the final colour for each pixel using shading models and the previously set material and lighting properties.

After pixel computation, material properties from the 3D model, together with texture mapping and shading calculations (e.g., Phong, Blinn-Phong), are utilised to determine the final colour and appearance of each pixel, simulating how light interacts with surfaces.

At this point, you might be a bit curious why Enscape rendering is lightning quick.

The reason for that is the performance optimisation they used in the middle of the process. They use techniques such as deferred rendering, allowing the rendering process to be more efficient with complex scenes.

For the realism part, the visual output is further modified through image-based lighting, which provides realistic scene illumination, and screen-space effects such as ambient occlusion and reflections, which add depth and realism to the rendered view.

Now you have your rendered objects; what happens when you visualise that?

During the rendering process, the display is updated continuously, responding to changes in camera position, model alterations, or other scene modifications. This ongoing process enables the interactive, real-time display by immediately showing the result of any changes.

Finally, the completed image, with all the calculations performed, is transferred from the GPU to the display, concluding the rendering process.

What are the Main Features of Enscape Render?

Now that we’ve explored the technical side of how Enscape works, let’s shift our focus to what it can actually do for you.

Here are some of the main features that make Enscape a popular choice for AEC professionals:

  • Real-Time Rendering: Enscape performs rendering in real-time. As a user modifies a 3D model, the changes are immediately reflected in the Enscape window. This provides instant feedback on design decisions and streamlines the design workflow.
  • Virtual Reality Support: Enscape provides integrated support for virtual reality (VR) headsets. This allows users to explore their 3D models in an immersive VR environment. Clients and stakeholders can experience the spatial qualities of a building design firsthand.
  • Built-In Asset Library: Enscape provides a built-in library of pre-made 3D models, including furniture, vegetation, and people. This library streamlines scene-building, eliminating the need to create or import common elements from external sources.
  • Lighting and Shadow Simulation: Enscape simulates lighting and shadows. It supports both artificial and natural light sources. Users can adjust lighting parameters and see accurate shadows, enhancing the realism of the rendered output.
  • Panorama and 360° Views: Enscape allows users to export panorama and 360° views of their 3D models. These navigable images enable exploration of the design from a specific viewpoint, facilitating virtual tours and design communication.

What are the Benefits of Using Enscape Render?

So, we’ve talked about how Enscape works and what it can do, but let’s focus on the real value—why you might want to use it.

Enscape isn’t just another piece of software; it’s designed to solve real problems and make your work in the AEC industry more efficient and effective.

From accelerating your workflow to enhancing your presentations, Enscape offers clear advantages that can impact your projects and day-to-day design process.

A primary benefit of Enscape is its integration with your existing design software. This direct connection enables you to produce high-quality renders within your familiar design environment, streamlining your workflow.

Furthermore, Enscape offers real-time design visualisation. This feature allows you to see changes instantly, significantly speeding up the design process and enabling quick iterations to validate ideas.

In addition to this, the software enables rapid visualisation creation. You can transform models into realistic renders in mere seconds, a valuable feature for quick presentations and reviews.

Perhaps one of the most significant benefits is enhanced communication. It’s reported that 98% of Enscape users agree that real-time rendering improves communication by helping everyone visualise designs from the same perspective.

Finally, Enscape enables early error detection. The ability to visualise designs at any stage helps you to identify and correct potential issues before construction, saving time and resources.

Those all are the primary reasons that Enscape become one of the software that are widely used by the AEC professionals. 

So, if you’re an AEC professional, you might want to consider learning Enscape to keep up with industry trends and improve your work process.

How to Use Enscape Render?

Enscape is designed to be user-friendly, integrating directly with your design software. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to start rendering using Enscape with both SketchUp and Revit.

How to Render in Enscape SketchUp

  1. Install Enscape: Ensure Enscape is installed and activated within your SketchUp environment.
  2. Open Your SketchUp Model: Open the 3D model you wish to render in SketchUp.
  3. Start Enscape: Locate the Enscape toolbar in SketchUp, and click the “Start Enscape” button. A separate Enscape window will open, displaying a real-time rendering of your SketchUp model.
  4. Navigate and Explore: Use the navigation controls within the Enscape window to move around your model. Use your mouse to pan, zoom, and orbit the camera.
  5. Adjust Settings: In the Enscape window, use the settings panel to adjust various parameters such as lighting, material properties, and time of day.
  6. Material Selection: If you are not satisfied with the material, select the material you want in SketchUp, then change the material setting in Enscape material editor. You can change parameters like colour, reflectivity, transparency, and more.
  7. Lighting Setup: Adjust lighting conditions by adding artificial lights or modifying the sun position to achieve your desired atmosphere.
  8. Export Options: Once you’re satisfied with the rendered view, you can export the view as an image, video, panorama, or VR experience. Use the export options in the Enscape window.
  9. Save Changes: Save your SketchUp model if you wish to retain the changes you made to the material or the location of your camera in Enscape.

How to Render in Enscape Revit

  1. Install Enscape: Verify that Enscape is installed and activated within your Revit environment.
  2. Open Your Revit Project: Open the Revit project you want to render.
  3. Start Enscape: In Revit, locate the Enscape tab and click the “Start Enscape” button. A separate Enscape window will launch, displaying a live, interactive rendering of your Revit project.
  4. Navigate and Explore: Use the navigation tools within the Enscape window to move around your model. The mouse can be used to control the camera position and orientation, similar to SketchUp.
  5. Adjust Settings: Use the Enscape settings panel to adjust a range of settings such as lighting, material properties, rendering quality, and time of day.
  6. Material Selection: If you are not satisfied with the material, select the material you want in Revit, then change the material setting in Enscape material editor. You can change parameters like colour, reflectivity, transparency, and more.
  7. Lighting Adjustments: Control the lighting conditions by placing artificial lights or adjusting sun parameters in Revit, which will be reflected in the Enscape rendering window.
  8. Export Options: When satisfied with the render, use the export options within Enscape to create images, videos, panoramas, or VR experiences.
  9. Save Project: If you want to keep your Enscape modifications, save your Revit project.

These step-by-step tutorials provide a clear guide for getting started with Enscape in both SketchUp and Revit.

These step-by-step tutorials should give you a good starting point for using Enscape in both SketchUp and Revit. But if you’re looking for a more detailed, in-depth guide, you’ll definitely want to check out the Enscape official blog – they’ve got tons of great resources there.

Start Learning Enscape and Visualisation Software Like AutoCAD

As you’ve seen, mastering Enscape greatly improves your ability to bring architectural designs to life. However, the foundation for effective architectural visualisation often begins with a solid understanding of design principles and technical drawing, starting with AutoCAD.

Proficiency in AutoCAD allows you to create the 2D drawings that form the basis for any 3D design process.

But where can you learn AutoCAD?

Interscale Education offers online courses designed to equip AEC professionals with practical AutoCAD skills, setting the stage for mastering 3D rendering tools like Enscape.

Here’s how Interscale Education can help you learn that:

  • Comprehensive Course Library: Access 100+ certified courses covering foundational to advanced AutoCAD techniques for 3D rendering.
  • Practical, Real-World Applications: Learn through video lessons demonstrating AutoCAD tools in real AEC projects.
  • Expert Instruction: Benefit from instructors with 60+ years of combined IT and construction knowledge.
  • Flexible, On-Demand Learning: Access over 60,000 minutes of video content and learn at your own pace.
  • Industry-Recognised Certification: Earn industry-recognised certifications, backed by our Autodesk Gold Partner status.

Interscale Education’s certified AutoCAD courses provide the foundational skills needed to integrate 3D rendering into your workflow, helping you better visualise designs and communicate effectively.

Build your fundamental visualisation skills with certified AutoCAD online courses—sign up today.

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